Pipe clamp



5 Sheet$-$heet 1 INVENTOR g.

ATTORNEY R. a RISLEY Aug. 31, 1943.

PIPE CLAMP Qriginal Filed June 1'7, 1941 Aug. 31,1943. R. EIRISLEY 2,328,168

PIPE cum? Original Filed June 17, 1941 5 $heets $hee 2 ATTORNEY 1943- R. a RISLEY I 2,328,168

PIPE CLAMP Original Filed Juno 17, 1941 5 s t -she t :5

Aug. 31, 1943. RISLEY 2,328,168

PIPE CLAMP Original Filed June 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY 1943- R. E. RISLEY PIPE CLAMP Original Filed June 17. 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Aug. 31, 1943 OFFICE r PIPECLAMP-*" Roger E. Risley, Bradford, rs, assignorto Dresser Manufacturing Company, Bradford, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania l Original application June 17, 1941, Serial No. 398,380. Divided and this application October 27, 1942, Serial No.463,482

2Claims. (01. 283-11)] My invention consists in the novel features .hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate several embodiments of the invention selected by me for purposes of illustration.

The present invention relates to the repair of underground pipe lines, for example, gas and waterlmains'and to the application of a repair clamp to apipe'line by operations performed aboveground through an excavating opening too small to admit a man. i In order systematically to clamp the. joints of underground bell and spigot pipe line; it is necessary to dig a hole about every twelve feet along the line. Where the pipe line runs undera paved street, a; considerable amount of repaving is, required. Moreover, many cities require that the repaving of any hole larger than a specified size,11'or example one footsquare,

be done by the city or a city designated contractor,

, and the cost .is often rather high. To avoid this A high paving cost and to keep the expense of the excavations 'at a minimum; it is highly advan- ,tageous to install a repair clamp by making only a small hole, for example one foot square; and

special tools through the foot square opening. a

I he key tosuccessdn obtaining asatisfactory repairhasbeenfoundto be the proper applica- .tion of thegasket- Ithas been proposed toat tach the gasket toa repair clamp and apply both the pipe joint simultaneously. l However, with this procedure, it is impossible toinspect the gasket after it has been placed onth pipe and pipe joint. It is ,anobject ofthe present invention to overcomejthis difficulty.

displaced by the application of the pipe clamp.

1 After the gasket is'gproperly positioned and secured in place, the pipe clamp is lowered into the "excavation, positioned. over the pipe and tightened to applyjsealin'g ressure to the gasket. In

this manner the gasket can be inspected before i the clamp is appliedand a tight repair joint is assured. The inventioni relates to the novel structure of the clamp and gasket; the method of applying the gasket an'dclamp to apipe linebe- Fig. 2 isa vertical sectional apply the'clamp to the pipe-by operations performed, by men above ground, working with ing disclosedand claimed in application Serial No. 398,380, fliedJune 1'7, 1941, of which the present application iSa'diViSiOH. i

, The nature and advantages of. the invention will be more fully understood from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate byway of example a pipe clamp and the installation of the clampto apipew 1 1 In the drawings, i Fig. 1 is aside elevation, partially in section, of abell andspigot pipe joint with a repair clamp in accordance with the invention applied; thereto. view taken on the line 2 2in Fig. 1. I I r Fig.13 isa sectionalview taken Fig. 4 is a top plan view of thepipe joint, and clamp shown in Fig. 1. v i ,5 is a perspective'view of thegasket of the pipeclamp shown in Fig. N

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the gasket showingthe construction of one of theeyelets for fastening the ends of the gasket together.

ontthe 1 line ,Fig.-7 isa sectional view taken on the line l-l-l inFig.6.

Fig. 8 is a sectionalview taken on the line 8+8 in Fig. 6.

, Fig. 9 isan enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 9- -,9 in Fig. 6.

Figs. 10,11 and l2 are vertical sectional views I taken transversely of the pipe line and illusl 5 40 .In accordance with the present invention, the gasket is placed on the pipe beforethe clamp is applied, and the gasket can thus be carefully positioned to seal the joint effectively. 'The gasket is then secured in position so that it will not bee-1. 4

trating successive operations in applying'the gasket and securing it in position. V

Fig. 13 1s an enlarged fragmentary view of the tool showninFigs. 10 to 12. I v

Figs. 14, 15, 16 and l'l are schematic vertical sectional views taken transversely of the pipe line and illustrating successive operations in applying the clamp to the pipe joint togetherwlth apparatus for carrying out the respective operations.

In Figs. 1 to 4 there is illustrated by way of example a repair clamp embodying the present invention. The clamp comprises a gasket La followerring 2, an anchor ring 3, and a plurality of through bolts 4, with nuts 5 connecting the follower andanchor ring. The follower-ring 2 is composed of a plurality of arcuate sections integrally connected together, the clamp illustrated in the drawings havingtwo such sections Za'and 2b. Each section is shown as having a gasket engaging face 20- and a peripheral portion 2d formingtogethena V-shaped cross secpipe lineganexcavation s madedownto the-Spine the pipe joint; missiles, as described in par dent application, Seriai No. 39 ,380. After the pipe joint has-been thoroughly cleaned, the -gasket'l is placed-around thepipe and secur'ed in proper position to' seal the joint. Successive opl ra'tions infappl-ying' the" gasket are illustrated in Figs. 10 to" 12. Apparatus "for performing these operations is shown in more detail in Fig. 12 This". apparatus comprises tongs 35 having -opposed jaws 35a and 35b pivotally connected at 35c and elongated operating handles 35d for opening and closing the jaws.

wardly and backwardly projecting hook 36 which may be permanently secured to. the jaw, for example, by welding. Asillustrated in Fig. 10, the

gasket may be placed on the pipe by gripping the gasket with tongs 35 atapoint opposite the ends Id of the split ring and pressing the ends down over the pipe.

damage the loops. One of the wireloops le is thengrappled with the hook 38, and the gasket is rotated about the pipe (Fig. 11) to a position in which the split of the gasket ring is approximately at the top of the pipe. The other wire loop le is then grappled so that both loops are in the hook 36, and the hook is thereupon rotated to twist the wire loops together.

The gasket is now held securely on. the pipe and maybe inspected to assure that itisin proper position before the clamp is applied. l

After the gasket has been carefully positioned and secured in place on the pipe, the repair clamp is installed by the operationsillustrated in Figs.

14 and 17. It will be understood that before being placed on the pipe, all parts of the pipe clamp are assembled together, the assembling having preferably been done at the factory. The anchor ring and the follower ring are connected together by the through bolts land the arcuate sections of each ring are hingedly connected by one of the through bolts. The connecting stud bolts 6 and I for the follower ringand anchor ring are screwed into the threaded apertures of the lugs 2h and 3d of the upper sections of the. respective rings. condition is lowered into the excavation by means of a suitable book 38 which is hooked under one.

of the through bolts of the upper ring sections so The ring inthis pre-assembled that the ring hangs open as shown in Fig. 14. The upper ring sections are placed over the top of the pipe with the anchor ring behind the scarf of the bell, andthe followerring on the opposite side of the gasket. The clamp is then closed by grappling one of the through bolts of the lower ring sections with the hooks 38 and raising the lower sections of the rings as shown in Fig. 15. The excavation may be belied out laterally as shown to afford adequate room forinsta-lling the clamp. While holding the lower ring section up by means of the hook 38, the connecting bolts 5 and 1 are screwed into the apertured lugs of the lower ring sections and tightened by means of a long handledsocket wrench illustrated in Fig. 15.

With the free ends of the hinged ring sections thusconnected together to secure the clamp about the pipe, the nuts ,5 on through bolts 4 i are next drawn up to apply sealing pressure to the gasket. Initial tightening of the nuts is speedily effected by the geared wrench illustrated I As the wire loops e are spaced back a short distance from the ends of the gasket ring, this operation does notinterfere with or 3 in Fig. 16. 'I'hislwrench'designated in general byvthe reference numeral comprisesa frame or housing 42 which is shown in the form of a One of the laws 35a is provided adjacent its end with an outdouble yoke. A spindle 43 is rotatably mounted inthe housingzand carriedat one or each end of a wrench head or socket 44. The spindle v44 1 is rotatable byiimeans of agear'45, which meshes with, akdgear .46. c'arried by anxoperating shaft 41,: rotatablyk mou'nted' in the housing with its axisilat"rightangles'to the axis of the'spindle.

The operating shaft 41 extends upwardly and has at its upper end an operating handle 43 whereby the shaft may be rotated in either direction. The gears connecting the operating shaft 41 with the spindle 43 may be selected to drive the spindle at the desired speed. To prevent rotation of the housing 42 by the torque applied to the operating shaft 41, a reaction shaft 49 is secured at one end to thehouslng and extends parallel withand adjacent to the operating shaft. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 26 the reaction shaft and operating shaft are arranged coaxially with one another. The reaction shaft 49 may be provided with a suitable handle 50. The wrench *is operated by placing the wrench head overthe nutof the through bolt of the clamp and rotating the spindle 43 and wrench. head 4| by rotation of the operating shaft 41, while maintaining the wrench This'operation draws the ends of the gasket toward one an-. other and secures them in abutting relationship.

outer end of the arm a ratchet socket 56.

in place and preventing rotation of the housing by holding the reaction shaft 49 stationary. With this apparatus the nuts of the through bolts can be rapidly drawn up. l f

Final tightening of the nuts on the through bolts of the clamp is effected by the ratchet wrench 52 illustrated in Fig. 17. This wrench comprises an arm 53 pivotally connected at 54 to an elongated handle 55, and carrying at the A spring connection between the arm 53 and handle 55 holds the arm in laterally projecting position to facilitate placing the socket over the nut while permitting relative pivotal movement between the arm and the handle during operation of the wrench. The wrench is operated, byilengthwise reciprocation of the handle 55,,

whereby the arm 53. is oscillated about the through bolts of the clamp. By :reason of. the

ratchet socket, oscillation of the arm in one directiontightens the nuts, while oscillation in the opposite direction. constitutes an idling The leverage provided by the arm 53 stroke. makes it possible ,to draw thenuts uptightly to apply effective sealing pressure to the gasket of the clamp. i

It will be understood that through the-coop eration of a split gasket having means for securing it in position on the pipe, and a hinged clamp of the kind described, all the operations ininstalling the gasket and the clamp can be performed by men working above the surface of the ground, it' being unnecessary for anyi one to descend. into the excavation. The repartially embeddedin 'saidmaterial -ande; opp; necting 'means for drawing the ends: f the' ring tightly together andr se curingfthemin' abutting relationship, said connectinglmeans beingcon-- nected-with thering at pointslocated radially outwardly of said. sealing surface: and spaced back from the -end--faces;of theyring and beingi anchored to said reinforcing element.

ROGER, E. RISLEY. 

